VIDEO: Enniskillen Collegiate '˜very disappointed' at court ruling

By The Newsroom
Published 3rd Feb 2016, 15:26 BST
Updated 3rd Feb 2016, 16:00 BST
Peter Bowles, solicitor acting for Enniskillen Collegiate, outside the High Court in Belfast after they lost a judicial review bid to block a merger with Portora RoyalPeter Bowles, solicitor acting for Enniskillen Collegiate, outside the High Court in Belfast after they lost a judicial review bid to block a merger with Portora Royal
Peter Bowles, solicitor acting for Enniskillen Collegiate, outside the High Court in Belfast after they lost a judicial review bid to block a merger with Portora Royal
Enniskillen Collegiate is 'very disappointed' at the failure of a judicial review case this morning to stop its closure.

A pupil lost her High Court battle to halt the amalgamation of the grammar school in Co Fermanagh with Portora Royal into one new school.

A team of teachers, governors and parents from Enniskillen Collegiate gathered at a cafe near the court in Belfast after the verdict in disappointment at the outcome. They told the News Letter that they did not want to speak to the press at this stage.

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The solicitor for the school, Peter Bowles, told the newspaper: “They are naturally very disappointed in the judgement this morning, and they are going to take some time now just to consider the written judgement and consult with both myself and counsel before deciding how to proceed.”

Peter Bowles, solicitor acting for Enniskillen Collegiate, outside the High Court in Belfast after they lost a judicial review bid to block a merger with Portora RoyalPeter Bowles, solicitor acting for Enniskillen Collegiate, outside the High Court in Belfast after they lost a judicial review bid to block a merger with Portora Royal
Peter Bowles, solicitor acting for Enniskillen Collegiate, outside the High Court in Belfast after they lost a judicial review bid to block a merger with Portora Royal

Neill Morton, the principal of Portora Royal, was also in court for the decision, which he welcomed.

“I am pleased we can now move on. The interim board has been working hard for over a year now, and this will give special impetus to their work and we can get this new school opened in September 2016 and that will be to the benefit of all schools in Fermanagh.”

He said that it had “very, very damaging process and I think no-one who has been touched by it has been left unscathed”.

Related topics:Co FermanaghHigh CourtBelfast